Skywriting: Let's get social! (media!)

Wednesday

Sep 28, 2011 at 9:21 AMSep 28, 2011 at 9:42 AM

Like it or not, social media has infiltrated every aspect of our lives both professionally and personally. If you get on board - and how much involved you actually get on board is up to you - the amount of avenues to travel is vast.

Skywalker

Like it or not, social media has infiltrated every aspect of our lives both professionally and personally. If you get on board - and how much involved you actually get on board is up to you - the amount of avenues to travel is vast. Along with this social media explosion comes a whole new vocabulary that is being tossed around at the water cooler, in school and in person. The latest flurry of conversation is in regards to Facebook changing its system and profiles. People are reluctant to changes (New Coke, anyone?) but they are inevitable. In this edition of Skywriting I wanted to simplify some of the different social media options and buzzwords so you can more easily navigate your way through walls, circles and follows.

Facebook: Currently on the top of the social media mountain, it is measured that one in eight people in the world have a Facebook account. Facebook has been the center of controversy as of last week after announcing upcoming changes to its website. I recently switched over to the “new” Facebook to see what all the hoopla was about.

The latest version is a switch from a documentation of what you’re doing right now to more of a timeline format. It documents your life’s accomplishments in chronological order with an option to update your status to the point of what broken bones you may have had or languages you have learned. If you have not jumped on the Facebook bandwagon, here are some of the most basic things you will see on the site:

Wall: Everyone has a virtual “wall” all their own. This is the space in which all messages are posted and received. The social media world is the only place where you can write on a wall and not get in trouble from Mom (well, maybe).

Status: What you are currently doing? What are you eating? Anything you want can be typed into this field informing the people you chose as “friends."

Tag: When you “tag” someone in a photo or in a status update you are basically attaching someone to a given action. If I “tag” Melissa in a photo, I am identifying who she is to my friends. Tagging is optional.

Checking-in: The source of much debate in the social media world, using your phone’s GPS you can check into a location. For example, if you are eating at your favorite restaurant and you click “check in,” the location of that restaurant is shown on your wall. It is a source of advertising and letting people where you are and, if you choose, who you are with (see “tag” above).

Twitter: The Facebook alternative. It is a more simplistic way of being connected with its own jargon and systems. The most famous tweeter (one who uses Twitter) is actor Ashton Kutcher. He was one of the early users of the program and the first to acquire 1 million people to follow him.

Tweets: The Twitter version of Facebook’s status update. You “tweet” your message. The key thing to remember on Twitter is you are limited in your typing to 140 characters. Whatever you’re doing or saying must fit in this parameter.

Follower: Facebook has friends and Twitter has followers. You choose who you want to “follow” and hear from.

Re-Tweet (RT): If you see the letters “RT” before a message that indicates it’s been “retweeted.” Someone has seen a message he or she liked or wanted to share with his or her followers, so it's “re-tweeted."

The “@” symbol: Everyone on Twitter is referred to by his or her username with an “@” followed by the name. I am @skyskymedia.

Mention: Facebook has “tags” and Twitter has mentions. When you want to refer to another person in your tweet message you type “@” and then his or her username.

Direct Message: DM is direct message. This is a message between two users exclusively and not visible to anyone else. In order to send a DM you must be following each other. I am a “follower” of Britney Spears, however, she is not following me back, so I cannot direct message her.

Hash tag/“#”: One of the things that differentiate twitter from the other social media platforms is something called trending. It measures what topics people are discussing on their Twitter accounts. It is a way to search and measure. When you send out a tweet you can complete it by adding a hash tag comment. For example: “got a promotion at work today and a big raise! #winning"

Twitter and Facebook can be a lot of fun, and if you have any questions please feel free to get in contact with me. I won’t say email me because emailing is so 2009. Instead, tweet me or write on my wall!